When the Moon Chooses Fire
by Vampireninja101
Summary: The Sandman's sole duty is to grant and protect good dreams of children all over the globe. However, there are some things in life you swear to be good dreams, yet, they aren't in the least bit, to your surprise. They are just too good, too crazy, too wonderful to be true. What happened to me was something just like this, and I never take it for granted. Not even for a second.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to another story, you guys! So many in so little time, but I tried to think of a good fanfiction for this movie, basically since I saw it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! ^^**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians**

 _*Scarlett Rou*_

 _A friend is someone who is always at your side,_

 _To greet you, to love you, to help you, and guide._

 _A friend is there to cheer you up when you're down,_

 _A friend treats you kindly, to quickly change that frown._

 _A true friend is a jewel, worth much more than gold,_

 _They are, preciously, kept in your sacred heart to hold._

 _A true friend is someone you can't live without,_

 _A true friend is someone to fondly rant about._

 _A dearest friend is there, when times seem dark,_

 _They smile saying: "never lose that spark!"_

 _A dearest friend is someone to share many laughs,_

 _Through homework, movies, lunches, and crafts._

 _A sister is like the sun, so bright and so warm,_

 _A sister will always mend a heart that is torn._

 _A sister is a friend who has been good, true, and dearest,_

 _She is someone through so long, whom you have held nearest._

 _A friend, such as this is someone who is with you to the very end,_

 _I want you to know, that you're my forever special, sister-friend._

* * *

 _Scarlett's POV_

My breath was heavy, and my dark, dark, curly, red hair whipped and bounced everywhere as I ran to catch up to her. "Wait up, Bonnie!" I laughed. I wore a white shirt, with short, puffy sleeves, a dark red, plaid skirt, tall, white socks, with lace just below my knees, and dark shoes. My hair had orange-y highlights, formed tight curls on the bottom, and was parted on the right side of my head.

Bonnie twirled around in her short-sleeved, pink shirt, green shorts, short, white socks, with lace around her ankles, and beige shoes to smile brightly at me. "You gotta run faster if you wanna win, Scarlett!" She sang. Her blonde hair was parted on the right, and she had bangs going across her forehead a little, to kind of fall down the left side of her face, just like me; but, she had two, tight buns on the top of her head, and a light pink hair band in front of them.

Giggling to myself, I pounded my tiny feet harder on the ground as we climbed up the hill, where her mom and daddy stood in front of the sun as it began to go down.

My name is Scarlett Rou, pronounced as in "row a boat", and I am six-years old. I have a mom and a seven-year-old sister named Louise, but they are away. So, I am spending my summer with my best friend in the entire world, Bonnie LaBusche!

We had made it to the top, and I tried to catch her as she hid behind her parents, who smiled at the two of us as we laughed loudly. Bonnie looked just like her parents, even though they were much taller than us. Both were skinny with fair skin, blonde hair, and the brightest blue eyes ever! But, they were very tired looking and had bags under their eyes. As long as I have known them, they have looked like that, so it really wasn't weird to see.

Suddenly, Bonnie's breath got short and she started to cough a lot, her hands covered her mouth and her eyes closed tight.

"Bonnie!" Her mom cried as she and Bonnie's daddy knelt around her with their hands on her.

"Bonnie!"

I just stood there, not showing sadness, or worry. I was used to this, too.

My name is Scarlett Rou . . . and my best friend in the entire world has leukemia.

* * *

My little feet swung while I sat on the tiny, orange chair outside of the hospital room Bonnie and her mom and daddy were in. My hands stayed on my lap as I looked at them. A doctor was inside with my best friend, too, but I could not hear what they were saying through the door to my left. Finally, the door opened and out walked the doctor and Bonnie's parents. Their eyes looked down into my green ones and the doctor touched my left shoulder with his hand as he smiled down at me from behind his rectangle-shaped glasses. He had almost no hair, but the few strings were white, and his face was all wrinkly. All doctors that I have seen are like that.

"Would you like to see your friend?" He asked gently and I slid myself off of the chair to slowly walk into the room. There were colorful butterflies on the wall close to the ceiling, but everything else was a boring white color. I made a pouty face. They should make this place more fun-looking.

Then, my face went back to normal and my eyes went to my best friend, who was sleeping in her bed. A teddy bear was tucked under arms as the light green blanket was pulled up to her neck; a breathing mask was over her mouth and nose.

"She's going to be fine, Scarlett." I looked up at Bonnie's mom who smiled at me with her tired, wrinkled face. "She's just got to rest." Her arms wrapped around me as I hugged her, tears in my eyes, but I did not cry.

"You're a real trooper." Bonnie's equally tired daddy told me as he put a hand on my shoulder. "You've always been so brave ever since you found out Bonnie had cancer." His smile grew. "It means so much to us."

Bonnie's mom pulled away, but her hands stayed on my shoulders. "Tell you, what. Why don't we go home and have some ice cream to cheer us up? You can make another card for her while we're at it!"

I nodded. "Okay." She placed her hand on my back as we walked out, but I took one last look at my best friend before we left.

After we had our ice cream, I had fallen asleep at the kitchen table with crayons in my hand and lying all around me. On her card, I was drawing everything Bonnie loved, but I was tired from the long day. So, Bonnie's parents brought me upstairs and into the room next to Bonnie's to tuck me in.

* * *

I woke up and squinted when a light was coming from underneath the door and onto the white carpet on the floor. Yawning, I rubbed my eyes and got up. It was really late, and I didn't know why Bonnie's mom and daddy were still awake.

I quietly tip-toed down the stairs, to see every light turned on. Shaking my head, I thought Bonnie's parents were crazy and they thought it was daytime. I gasped when I heard crying and sniffling and got scared, then tip-toed down the rest of the stairs and walked into the small living room. I walked passed the front door to my right and a TV to my right. Crawling onto the couch across from the TV, and next to the doorway going into the kitchen, I took a peek to see Bonnie's mom and daddy sitting at the kitchen table. Her mom was crying and holding a tissue to her eyes while her daddy held her hand and rubbed it with his thumb.

I felt a lump rising in my throat and was about to cry. What happened to Bonnie . . .?!

"I'm sorry, but this is for the best." I looked around the corner a little more to see the phone on the table; the doctor from today was talking on speaker.

"But . . . but!" Bonnie's mom cried into the tissue.

"We understand."

"Thank you both for agreeing to this. . . Does the Rou's daughter know about this?"

Bonnie's mom sniffled. "No, she's in bed."

"Oh, hon. I don't think she is." She turned to follow Bonnie's daddy's eyes, which looked right at me. I was shaking. "Looks like she overheard us. . ."

"Oh, sweetie." She stood up then knelt with her arms open, the tissue in her left hand. "Come here."

I slowly walked over to them and she sat me on her lap. "What's wrong with Bonnie?" I sniffled, and the adults looked at each other.

Bonnie's daddy picked up the phone and turned it off of speaker mode. "She's here with us, doctor. Thank you for the news." He waited for a second then hung up to look at me. "Sweetheart. . ." He said slowly and put his hand on mine, but he did not look like he could finish what he was saying.

"The doctor we saw today said a new sort of treatment was announced. So, she can get better."

I was very confused and looked at them. "Wait, but isn't that a good thing?"

They looked at each other again then back at me. Bonnie's mom smiled as tears fell down her face and she moved my hair behind my left ear. "Oh, baby, of course it is. She could get better faster."

"But, there's one, certain thing about it that is making us upset."

"What's that?"

They took a breath. "The treatment is only in London." They announced together.

My eyes widened. I didn't know where that was, but seeing how sad they were, I could tell it was far, far away from here. More tears filled my eyes. "Y-you mean, you're going to _leave Bonnie?!_ You're going to let them take her _away from me?!_ " I cried out, my face felt hot.

"Oh, no, no, sweetie! No!" Bonnie's mom said as he hugged me tight, my arms wrapped around her neck as I cried.

"We would go with her, of course!"

I looked at him. "Y-you're going to _leave_ me?!"

He cupped my cheek with his hand and gave me a sorry-looking face. I could barely see the kitchen counters and fridge, because everything was so fuzzy. "We'll take some time to think about this, Scarlett." He said softly. "Okay?"

I just nodded before I put my face into Bonnie's mom's shoulder and cried harder while the two adults rubbed my back.

I cried myself to sleep and they brought me upstairs to tuck me back in. One of them put a furry bear under my arm and I hugged it close, before they pulled the blanket a little higher over me, kissed me goodnight, and quietly left the room.

Thinking about Bonnie, in her hospital room so far away from me, made me very sad and I started to have a bad dream. This time, I couldn't run to Mom's room, or Louise's, because they were away on some kind of trip. I didn't want to go, because I wanted to be with my best friend, Bonnie. I started to moan and toss and turn in my bed and chills went up my spine, making me curl up into a ball. It felt as though some tall, dark, scary figure crawled from underneath my bed and was standing over me.

It appeared in my dream, too! It was laughing as it stared at me with dark eyes and a grey face. I figured out who it was when I saw him wearing all black. It was the Boogie Man! I've always been scared of him. Sometimes, I would have bad dreams the whole night and would be very tired and grumpy the next day.

I just wanted to wake up from this dream, but I couldn't! It got scarier and scarier, but then, suddenly, I relaxed when it wasn't so scary anymore. A white puppy dog, with orange spots, jumped into my dream and started barking and chasing its tail. It chased all the scary things away and more animals joined the puppy: a bunny, a kitty, and even a unicorn! I smiled in my sleep. Mom and Bonnie's mom and daddy would tell Bonnie and me to not be scared if we have a bad dream, because the Sandman would come and make things all better! As my good dream happened, I smiled and drifted back into a deeper sleep.

My name is Scarlett Rou, pronounced as in "row a boat". I have a mom and an older sister, and a best friend, named Bonnie. Now, you may think this whole story is about Bonnie and me, but actually, this whole story is about the greatest, and perhaps the strangest, adventure even the _Sandman_ couldn't make me dream of.

 **Hope you all enjoyed! Please Review and I'll see you next time! ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians**

 _*Denied Fantasy*_

 _Scarlett's POV_

Bonnie and I laughed as she tossed a handful of popcorn at me. It was movie night and the two of us were taking a well-deserved break from our high school work. Yeah, you heard me. My best friend and I were juniors and preparing our lives to be filled with the hell that was college applications and all that jazz. Bonnie's parents had mustered a way to prolong their move, so we could at least get through most of our academic years together. I'm so glad that they did.

I recall how beyond devastated I was when they first told me they would have to move to London in order for Bonnie to receive the proper treatment needed for her leukemia. It hasn't been easy for her, but she's been bucking through as best as she always has been. Her hair was really thinning out and she often wore bandanas to cover it, yet she always put on as brave of a face as she can. But, I'm not gonna talk much about that. For now, I just want to have a great time kicking back and relaxing with my best friend in the entire world, watching movies all night long in our PJs.

I popped in The Avengers while she was in the bathroom and kept the screen blackened until she came back out.

"You put a movie in?" She asked.

"Yup." I replied with the bowl of buttery popcorn in my lap as I sat with my knees to my chest. Smiling up at her with a glint in my holly green eyes, I patted the couch cushion to my left. "Pop a squat, my dear."

She stared at me for a moment, before a smile stretched across her own face. "Oh no. What did you do, Lett?"

I just grinned back. "You'll see, and you'll thank me for it later."

She sat down beside me and I clicked play. The sci-fi sounds began playing and she tilted her head back with a brief laugh. "Ah, I should've known you'd do this to me."

"Ha ha!" I announced victoriously, waving the black remote in her face. "'Cause I know everything about you."

She looked at me and chuckled a little. "Mm-hm. Now sh! The best part of the intro's comin' up!"

And she was right, in her opinion, because a flash of blue took over the scene and the camera panned to reveal a man wearing a green and black-leather suit. I looked over to her and saw that she had a pillow clutched to her chest, her face half-hidden, so only her blue eyes peeped out.

The man lifted his head and she instantly squealed, flailing her mostly bare legs about in a frenzy. I bust out laughing. Her love for Loki and Tom Hiddleston always amused me.

Her faced was buried into the pillow now and she was still making sounds like that of a kitten. It was pretty freaking adorable and I patted her on the back. "Are you all right, love?"

"Mm-hm." She mumbled, nodding into the pillow.

Now me being the _wonderful_ friend that I am, I leaned close to her ear. "What if you ever met him?" I flinched back right away, because she started giggling, squealing, and spazzing even more than before. She was fangirling so hard that she _actually rolled off_ of the couch and onto the beige carpet. "Woah." I chuckled, my face expressing my amusement. "You okay there, tex mex?"

"Ugh! _Why do you do this to me?_ " She cried, hugging the pillow, as she lay in fetal position on the floor.

I laughed. "Because I can, sweetheart. Because I can."

She looked at me, puckering her lips a little, and narrowed her eyes in a scowl. "I hate you."

"Love you, too!" I said giving a proud grin and a thumbs up.

We finally finished the movie roughly two and a half hours later, since we had to pause it a few times for Bonnie to rush to the bathroom and get sick. But, she returned with a bright a face as she could muster. Of course, I stared at her with worry, though.

"All right, now it's _my_ turn to surprise _you._ "

"Oh no." I said, rolling my eyes and trying to force a smile.

She discreetly took a new DVD out of its case, "Hey, you'll thank me for it later!" Once the movie had been inserted, she pranced over to join me on the couch.

"God damn it!" I shouted when I saw Jack Frost sitting on the DreamWorks' moon. "No!" My hands flew to my flushed face. "Why!"

"Because you need to be happy, that's why!" She wrapped her arms around me.

"Ugh!" I groaned behind my hands and tipped over into her embrace, my head fitting perfectly into the crook of her neck as she pressed her cheek against my head and kissed the top of it.

"Don't worry so much about me." She soothed, rubbing my arm with her hand. "Just watch your precious baby and squeal like I did. Take in the beauty you see in the one and only Chris Pine."

I buried my face again with a tiny squeal and we commenced watching the movie.

A while had passed, and I had calmed down now, but we remained cuddling like that for pretty much the entire film. And, just as she did during The Avengers, I fangirled during The Rise of the Guardians.

"Betcha wish Jack was real, huh?" She poked my shoulder and I swatted it away.

"Oh, please. There's _no way_ he's real."

"Oh, come on! He _could_ be!" We separated, my left flank feeling cold due to the loss of body heat. "Ya just gotta believe!" She threw her arms in the air.

I raised an eyebrow and chuckled a little. "What're _you?_ The kid from The Polar Express?"

"Hey! Santa's real!" Bonnie exclaimed, pointing her finger at my face.

I cupped my hands around hers and playfully met her blue, jokingly intense gaze. "New flash, honey! He ain't nothin', but a story parents tell their kids!"

As soon as I blurted that out, a loud 'boom' came from the TV, making the two of us jump and stare at the screen, which displayed a close-up of North's fierce face.

"It's almost like he heard us. . ." Bonnie whispered.

I scurried over to the TV and turned it off, chills running up and down my spine. "Man, that was creepy."

"I'll say. . ."

We were quiet for a moment as I ejected the DVD and placed it over the case where it lay in front of the TV.

"Wanna head upstairs?" She and I both thought the same at this point: get out of the basement for a while.

"Yeah." I nodded and we giggled as we raced each other up the stairs to main level and then up to her room.

"Take it easy, girls!" Her mom called from the base of the stairs.

"Okay, Mom!" Bonnie replied before shutting the door.

 _Normal POV_

A figure approached the exposed DVD and stood in front of it for a moment, before taking it in hand and examining it. The flesh upon the disk caused flakes of frost to branch onto it. After, the cold bits had settled, the being set it back down softly and departed from it.

 _Scarlett's POV_

Typical sleepover at your best friend's place: zero sleep, all talk and giggles and deliria from exhaustion. But, with every attempt we made to make our time together as upbeat as possible, there was always a couple of windows where solemnity would seep in.

"So, do you know when you leave?" I reluctantly asked from my place on the floor as I lay on my side, hugging my giant panda plush close.

Bonnie sighed as she reclined on her bed beside me, hugging her giant pink bunny plush and gazing at her ceiling fan spinning slowly. "I think my parents set their minds for the end of junior year . . . which really sucks to me."

"That soon?" My heart broke. "But, that's in, like, a couple of months!"

"Yeah, I know."

I looked down, my groggy mind racing with such gloomy news. "And, we won't be . . ."

"Graduating together." She concluded. Our sad eyes met. Then, I stood and cuddled up next to her and she cuddled into me. "I'm sorry, Lett." She murmured with a sigh as she rubbed my arm with her thumb.

I sniffled and blinked back my tears while I hugged my large panda. "It's not your fault." I choked out. "None of this is in your control. _Remember that._ "

I felt her nod against me and we didn't utter another word until we fell sound asleep. Hugging each other and absolutely terrified to let go.

The next morning, I made my way downstairs to the basement when I recalled The Rise of the Guardians DVD had not been put away. However, I was completely befuddled when I saw the condition it was in. Furrowing my dark eyebrows, I picked it up daintily in my hands. "Hey, Bonnie?" I called and a few moments later, I heard her bare feet pounding on the basement stairs.

"Yeah?"

"Come take a look at this, would ya?"

I angled my body to show her the DVD and she, too, wrinkled her blonde eyebrows. "What in the world . . .?"

"I don't know." I shrugged once I gave it to her.

"That's so strange." She examined it closely, looking at the bits of frost left on the smooth, shiny surface. "There _aren't_ any windows down here. . ."

"Then, what do you think could've . . ." My voice trailed away and my eyes widened slightly when I thought I saw a shadow projected on the wall behind Bonnie. The grey shape was perched on top of something and then quickly hovered towards where the stairs were. But, when I turned to look around, I saw nothing that could have matched that shadow. What in the hell . . . ?

Bonnie noticed that I was distracted. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah." I replied, blinking back into reality for a brief moment, then I started padding my bare feet towards the stairs. "I'm gonna go get some air."

"Okay." She said warily as she watched me turn to head up to the main level.

I must be losing my freaking mind if I'm really thinking what I'm thinking right now. . .

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or anything of MARVEL's or DreamWorks, and I do not own The Polar Express.**

 **All references belong to their respective owners.**

 **I'm so glad to have some downtime and be back on with this story! Hope you all have a very Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year, too! ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, yeah, it's been a while! Hope you guys are having a great year so far! I haven't forgotten about my stories, I've just been super busy that I haven't had the time to update them. But recently browsing YouTube and coming across the scene where Jamie sees Jack sparked my motivation to really get back to this one. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians**

 _*Once I was 18 Years Old*_

 _Scarlett's POV_

My bare feet thudded loudly up the beige-carpeted steps leading up from the basement and onto the main floor; my heart was pounding in my throat. Why was I getting _this_ worked up about what I found on the DVD this morning? I shook my head. Duh, because Bonnie doesn't _have_ any windows in her basement. How else could have _frost_ formed on the disk? Something was definitely up and weird, if that wasn't obvious enough. I opened the front door and came to a stop just past the front step when I looked around before lifting my head to look at the roof.

I squinted my eyes and held up a hand to block the bright autumn sun. From behind my hand, I could have sworn I saw the shadow of a person floating in front of the large, fiery star, and the silhouette appeared to be staring right in my direction. Just as I had begun to process everything, it darted behind the house and, with my breath ragged, I ran back inside to cut through to the backyard. However, just as I was passing the door to the basement, Bonnie came up and I collided right with her.

"Oh!" She cried as I body slammed her, knocking her against the wall.

"Oh, my gosh!" I gasped, my holly green eyes widened, and my hands flew to my face for a moment before supporting her. "Are you okay?! I'm sorry!"

"Where were you heading in such a rush?" Thankfully, she seemed just a little surprised.

"I uh, uh!" What was I supposed to say? That I possibly might have just seen a person hovering in the air like some kind of superhero?

The dull, blue-eyed look she gave me was all she needed to do to get to me.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Her mother had looked at us while on a business call, hinting that we were being a bit too loud.

Bonnie nodded and we headed to the dining room, a small distance from Mrs. LaBusche, and I gave my friend the run down.

"So, let me get this straight." She said, a hand slightly outstretched and her eyes closed while her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. I don't blame her. "When we saw the DVD with frost on it, you saw a shadow in my basement and decided to chase after it. And when you did, you could have sworn you saw it outside and fly into my backyard?"

"Look," I said, my eyes wide, as I leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I know it sounds crazy, but I don't think I'm _that_ sleep deprived to be imagining these things, Bon."

She just stared at me with her arms folded across her chest. I knew that look. Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Lett, sweetie, I think your mind is trying to tell you otherwise."

I stuck my tongue out at her and she chuckled, giving me a playful shove. "Oh, _real_ mature, love." I grinned at her in reply.

She nodded her head towards the other room, "C'mon."

Smiling with a small giggle, we rested our arms on each other's' shoulders and left the dining room.

* * *

I gazed aimlessly out the window as my mom, sister, and I drove on a long and windy road. My elbow was propped up on the car door's interior and my cheek leaned on my fist. The trees lining the street were either leaf-less or bore brightly colored shades; the car's windshield wipers worked frantically to beat the buckets of water that fell from the grey sky. Mom and Louise were talking in the front, but I drowned out their conversation and let my mind wander. I let it wander to the last few times Bonnie and I hung out. And then she and her family finally moved to the UK. Junior year was over.

"Right, Scarlett?"

"Hm, what?" I mumbled, lifting my head as I blinked back into reality.

Mom sat in front of me and met my gaze from her rear view mirror before quickly returning her attention to the road in front of her, "I said it's crazy to think you're a senior now."

"Oh, yeah." I replied straightening up to have my back pressed against the leather seat.

"And I'm in _college._ " Louise blurted out, "Ah, I feel so _oold!_ "

" _You_ feel old? How do you think _I_ feel!"

My mind detached itself from the environment as they laughed. I do this daily: wonder how Bonnie's doing and what she's up to while I live my life clear across the other side of the world from where she is. I sighed to myself and returned to my place leaning against the cold window.

"You okay?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, sure." I replied gazing out the window. A few moments of silence passed.

"I know you miss her, Scar, but her family had no choice. London was the only place with the proper treatment that she needed in order to get better."

"Yeah, I know."

"You'll see her again." She smiled back at me through the mirror and I sighed again.

Louise turned on the radio to fill the uncomfortable silence that filled the car. My sister and I had very different tastes in music, but I was going to embrace anything right now to preoccupy my mind. A Katy Perry song began to play and Louise bopped her head to the tune while Mom just drove; I remained silent behind them.

The three of us stayed this way for a while as we drove home. The road seemed to stretch on forever, but we didn't really seem to mind; Mom kept her focus on driving, Louise was too busy rocking out to Carly Rae Jepsen's _Call Me Maybe,_ and I was still lost in my memories with Bonnie. I didn't see any other cars driving, but I didn't think too much of it. It was a gross day out so it'd be understandable if people didn't want to leave the warmth and comfort of their homes. I sighed and closed my eyes. I couldn't wait to get back home and just curl up under a nice warm blanket. This kind of weather always made me so groggy and just not want to do anything, then again it affects other people just the same.

The car jerked suddenly and I was up and on alert, my green eyes wide. Louise had shut up too, and the two of us looked at Mom. "What the heck?!"

"Sorry, girls!"

I furrowed my eyebrows upon noticing her appearance. She was stiff, as if something was going to jump out at her. She was looking a little pale, too.

"I just saw a piece of roadkill."

"Aw, what was it?"

"A raccoon."

"Noo! Rocket Raccoon?!"

I face-palmed, even though I appreciated Louise' attempt to lighten the mood. "No Louise," I leaned forward and patted her shoulder, "he's still kickin' with the Guardians of the Galaxy."

She sighed in relief.

"We're almost home."

Louise lowered the radio, so it was barely audible, and pulled out her phone before scrolling through her Instagram feed. I leaned back and looked at the trees whipping passed, then I turned my head to look out the window to my right and my eyes widened. In the shadows of the trees, I thought I saw a figure facing the road. I furrowed my eyebrows and scooted closer to the other side so I could have a better look, but a few moments later, it disappeared into the background.

"Is everything okay back there, Scarlett?" Mom asked, casting me a very quick glance.

I was getting the creeps. Someone was watching us. "Is there any way we can drive faster?" I sat forward, placing my hands on Mom's and Louise's seats.

"Why, what's wrong?" Mom was on the defense.

All the while, I kept a guarded look at the trees beside the road. "I just don't feel so good and I wanna get home ASAP."

Mom and Louise were eyeing me and each other and I didn't get an answer for a while, "Well, sweetie I can't go any faster. It's a 50mph zone and I'm going the speed limit."

"Okay." I stayed forward.

"We'll be home soon, though, okay?"

I nodded.

Finally, after a total of about 35 minutes with the same windy road, tree-surrounding scenery, we were coming to the exit. The suspicious feeling didn't ease at all and I could not wait to get back home. I was positive Mom and Louise felt the same way. Mom turned on her right turn signal when we came to the intersection and came to a sudden stop, which made Louise and I lurch forward.

"Mom!" My sister cried then we both looked out the front window, our eyes wide.

There was a tall, dark, lean figure standing in the torrential rain.

"Mom. . .?" I asked then my sister and I turned our heads and gasped. She was facedown into the steering wheel.

"Mom?!" Louise cried and reached for her when the figure moved making her freeze and stare at it.

I had had enough of this creep stalking us by this point. Hauling my hood over my head, I unlocked the door and got out.

"Scarlett!" Louise cried as I passed Mom's window.

"Hey!" I shouted, glaring at the dark figure which was near the patch of trees by the corner we were going to turn on. I reached down and grabbed a heavy rock the size of my palm. "Back off!" After tossing it up and down a few times, I hurled it towards our predator, "Get lost!"

Thankfully for my old softball kills, I hurled the rock faster than he was able to react. It clocked him on the head and he collapsed.

Breathing heavily as the rain dripped off of my black jacket and parts of my red bangs, I nodded in satisfaction.

"Scarlett!" I turned to see Louise calling out my name from the window, which she opened a crack. Mom was stirring and placed a hand to her forehead, Louise put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her in concern. I began to walk around the front of the car. He didn't damage it. Mom must have seen him and freaked out, working herself into fainting.

As I whipped out my phone from my pocket to dial 911, I heard my name being screamed. High beams coming from my right caught my attention and when I turned my head, I saw another car hurtling towards us. If this driver doesn't slow down . . . And as if fate intertwined with my thoughts, the car hit a bump and was thrown out of control. It spun out as it careened towards us.

Now, I don't know _what_ caused my body to do this. Guess the mind really is more powerful, huh? I stepped away from our car and towards the vehicle catapulting towards me. I raised my hands and screamed, "Stop!" Like hell that was going to do anything! We're talking a 2 ton machine verses little 115 pound me! But, I was solely determined on doing _whatever_ I could to protect my sister and my mom.

The high beams overcame my sight and a high-pitched ringing sounded in my ears.

 **Another note about this chapter, it was snowing today. . . It's spring . . . wtf Mother Nature? More like wtf Jack Frost, I'm sorry but your time has passed for the year.**

 **Anywho, hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a Review telling me whatcha think of this story so far, and I will see you in the next chapter. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**-Three months later- So sorry that I've been gone for so long guys! It's summer vacation and I have been quite a busy bee; didn't mean to neglect my stories for so long, and I am currently working on updating all of them! I had this chapter ready to post much earlier, but for some reason Fanfiction wouldn't let me upload it. Did anyone else have that issue? ,:/**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians**

 _*Seeing is Believing*_

 _Scarlett's POV_

My eyelids fluttered until they finally cracked open. The bright sun poured through the canopy of trees over me and I blinked a few times to adjust to the light. Groaning, I sat up and heard the grass rustle as I did so. My head was aching slightly, but when I placed my left hand on it I didn't feel a lump or anything.

"Man, what happened?" I groaned, looking around at my surroundings.

The world was exactly how I last saw it, except that it was no longer raining. But the trees were still in bloom with the colorful shades of autumn and a few leaves fell here and there. A few birds chirped from the branches above me that twisted and twined with each other, as if an old grandmother had carefully knitted them into place. The road was gone though, only grass stretched around me in all directions, as if the growth had swallowed up the gravel.

Something was not right.

I lowered my hand, flinching and felt something rough underneath my palm. To my left was a long branch-like object, the body of it a marigold color, a blue orb with a golden brown leaf inside perched in the junction of the split top. Scooping it up gently, I examined it.

Finally, I stood up and wobbled a little, using my staff to regain my balance.

"What is going on here?" I whispered to myself as I looked around. I didn't see anyone, only grass and trees, swaying and rustling with the soft breeze. It was as if Mother Nature had confiscated the entire road Mom, Louise, and pretty much everything and anything that looked familiar. My holly green eyes spotted a small stream and I approached it, my throat dry. From disuse or thirst, I had yet to figure that out.

The forest was filled with the sun's golden light, warming the whole scene. Everything felt ridiculously peaceful. I scoffed to myself. After a while, I looked again at the staff and tilted my head at it curiously. Out of all the things that no longer made sense to me, this was by far one of the most confusing. What was this object even for? Picking it up again as I stood, I puffed out a sigh.

I looked around to see if anyone was watching, but who was I kidding? The only other life I had seen so far were the trees. After giving one more glance around the area, I gripped the staff in my hand and grinned childishly.

"Ha!" I playfully lunged forward like a lance. As I moved, an autumn wind swirled around me, carrying leaves on the tendrils of the brisk air. I looked around before doing it again. And then again, and again. Each time, a gust of wind took a bundle of leaves with it as it blew in the direction my staff was pointing. I laughed and began to run around causing wind to blow in every directions; from the corner of my eye I saw a fox stare at me from the safety of its den.

As I continued to goof around, I leapt into the air, summoning a burst of wind as I did, just to see what would happen. Surprisingly, the gust carried my weight up into the air. Squeaking, I pulled the staff underneath my feet, looking for something to balance on. My cousin had taught me how to skateboard a couple of years ago, and the instinct took over. The next thing I knew, I was airborne and crying out with exhilaration as I rode my staff like a board.

I was freaking _flying!_ Loud laughter burst from my mouth as I continued to climb higher and higher. The wind swirled around me and under me, supporting my weight and blowing my hair in all directions. When my ascent finally leveled out, I gazed in sheer awe at the sight below me. The forest was so bright with the colors of fall, like an intricate patchwork of color! As I looked around the autumn wind that had carried me up died down to nothing.

"Uh oh." I muttered before crashing through the branches and falling into a pile of leaves.

I giggled as I popped up from the mound and stood, letting the leaves drift off of my body. It didn't even occur to me that I was unhurt from the fall as I leapt from the pile to another nearby mound. After deciding I had goofed around long enough, I decided to explore my surroundings by foot.

I had been looking around for a few minutes when I began to hike a hill, intending on getting a better sense of where I was. As I worked my way up the hill, a twig cracking caught my attention. In front of me was a baby rabbit.

"Aw." I smiled and crouched down, watching its little nose twitch as it nibbled on the grass. Suddenly, it tensed and its ears began to rotate. I looked to the side, but didn't see anything, and when I looked back the small woodland creature was hopping towards me. I opened my hands, encouraging the little creature to safety. The fluffy baby leapt up to my lap and I held it protectively against my chest.

"Hey little fella," I cooed. "You're okay. Where's your mama?"

As it on cue, a slightly larger bunny came rustling from a bush and looked straight at me. Not wanting to tangle with Mama, I released the baby bunny and watched it hop over to the older bunny. They nuzzled against each other for a moment before they vanished into the underbrush.

Standing, I brushed myself off and stretched. "Well, I suppose I should find _my_ family now, too."

 _10 Years Later_

 _Normal POV_

A young boy was walking down the sidewalk with his Mulan backpack displayed proudly on his back. He always loved the Disney character; her courage to take her father's place in the army, her smarts when she devised the plan to take down the Hun army. Just thinking about the Chinese warrior excited him, but not everyone thought the same. At least, none of the other boys in his class. He would always get picked on for liking a 'girly' thing.

As he strolled, a cluster of three short pudgy boys approached him with wide smiles and knuckles cracking.

 _Scarlett's POV_

Flying over my hometown, I surveyed the streets as they bustled with life. It was a brisk fall afternoon, meaning that there were children everywhere, leaving school and heading home. There were adults waiting for their children, wandering between storefronts, or leaving work for the day. The breeze winding through the streets was all thanks to yours truly. It stirred up stray leaves and tugged at anyone's hair that happened to be loose.

All was pretty peaceful in the world below, as I watched over the town, my dark red hair swirling around my face as I continued to soar. That is, until I heard cries and looked down to see a small boy being chased down an alleyway. Brows furrowed into a serious face, I dove down and pulled up to dismount my staff, my bare feet hit the sidewalk. I stepped up onto a dumpster before hopping over to stand on top of the fence and lean against the brick wall.

The three boys were too focused on the smaller one pressed against the fence to notice me in the shadows, not that they would have noticed me landing on their heads anyway. Giving them a disappointed look, I whipped my staff to stir a gust of wind which tossed up a couple of trashcans that landed hard. The loud noise scared the three boys and, as a bonus, the noise had stirred a couple of stray dogs on the other side of the fence. I chuckled as I watched the boys flee.

The little boy who had been chased remained, clutching his backpack tightly to his chest. He did not let a single tear escape his eyes and stain his cheeks. I titled my head in amusement.

"You sure are a brave one." I said with a smile. He scurried away. Sighing, I looked up and leapt to stand on the roof of the building I had been leaning against.

I walked over to the front edge and looked down at the people walking below. Ten years. That's how long it's been since I woke up like this. I had gone looking for my family not too long after finding myself in the middle of nowhere, and able to fly. My house had been eerily quiet when I walked in, which made no sense since there was usually music playing or the TV in the background. Mom and Louise had been sitting together on the couch, crying together and dressed in black.

My heart had plunged into my stomach, fearing that something had happened to Bonnie. I called out to them, but they didn't even flinch. Confused, I had approached them and tried to shake their shoulders, grab their hands, anything. But every time I reached out, my hands passed right through them like I was made or vapor. In a panic, I had fled. I still visited and watched over them from time to time, but I didn't dare approach them again. It hurt too much, not being seen by my family.

So I had learned to live – could you even call this living? – without them.

That night, I was sleeping in my tree when a noise woke me with a start. With my heart racing and eyes wide, I was on my feet with my staff clenched tightly in my hand. You would think I wouldn't have anything to worry about, being invisible and all, right? But something didn't feel right.

I leapt down onto the grass and creeped towards the shadows ahead of me. My body was tense, my eyes narrow, and my staff held up defensively. Then, I saw a figure move in the shadows and I cried out as I fell back in shock.

It took me a moment to recover, but breathing heavily, I was back on my feet and looking around frantically. Whoever it was, they were gone now. It took me a few moments to regulate my breathing a little until another sound caught my attention. I looked behind me and my eyes widened before I was hauled into darkness, twisting, turning and tumbling against my will.

My head was spinning awfully from all of the sudden movements and I felt sick to my stomach when I was airborne once again in the darkness that engulfed me. A sudden impact sent the breath out of my body and I took a minute to get it back before taking the stillness in. I heard murmuring and hushing from the other side of the darkness and groped for any way back into the light.

Finally, I found a way out and I poked my head out of the hole a little to see a crowd of people gathered in front of me. Quickly, I pulled the opening closed and ducked back inside to take everything in. Why, _why_ did this all seem so familiar? I could have _sworn_ I had seen this situation before!

"Aw, she's scared!" A feminine voice said.

"Scared? Of us?" Came an Australian accent. "Why should she be? And why is she even here in the first place?"

Bells answered softly.

"Sh!" Hushed the female.

I fully lifted my head out of the hole and looked around. There were massive yetis and puny elves everywhere and I finally registered that I had been thrown into a red sack.

"Wow, you gotta be kidding me." I said in awe.

"That's what I said!" A voice behind me laughed and I froze with wide eyes before turning around. There was a boy sitting on a desk with a staff held up against his shoulder. His eyes were a gorgeous icy blue and his hair was as white as freshly fallen snow.

"Scarlett Rou!" Boomed a loud Russian accent, which startled me greatly. I whipped my head around to see a massive man with a long white beard smiling at me with his arms folded and his blue eyes sparkling.

"Uhm, yeah?" I said softly, still not entirely sure what was going on here. The large Russian man extended a hand to me, offering to help me to my feet. Hesitantly, I reached out and tried not to think about how easily his one hand could probably crush my head if he so desired

Summoning a light breeze, I swung my staff up to my hand, holding it protectively. Gazing around my new surroundings, I shook my head in disbelief and let out a quiet chuckle.

The assembled group gave each other confused looks before they focused back on me.

"Something is funny?" The Russian man – who I had worked out to be North – inquired suspiciously.

Shaking my head, I glanced around at them and leaned against my staff as casually as possible. Inside though, I was screaming. There was no way this was happening.

"If you had told me I would be in this situation ten years ago, I would have called the police. And yet," I paused to wave my hand at the massive toyshop behind me. "Here I am."

They were silent for a few moments as they watched me curiously. Tooth was the first to flit over, her eyes confused but still warm and bright.

"Well, it seems we don't have to introduce ourselves then. Even so, we're glad that you're already aware of us. Most of the time, people tend to be confused." She glanced over my shoulder here, prompting me to turn my gaze as well.

Perched on the railing nearby was a young teenage boy, his hair shock white with pale skin to match. He propped his arm against the crook of his wooden staff as he watched the scene unfold before him. When Tooth and I both looked to him, he smiled and gave a lazy wave.

"Hey," he said casually. "Name's Jack."

I stared for a long moment before shaking my head, feeling lightheaded with disbelief. There was no way this was happening, and yet here I was. Here I was. Here I-

"Now I know I'm dreaming." I said softly before promptly passing out.

 **Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Please Review and I'll see you all in the next chapter. :)**


End file.
